Cementitious composites are the most widely used engineered building material and the second most used material in general. Development of multifunctional, sustainable, economical, or more durable structures would have a significant impact on human health and the environment, preserve natural resources, and save energy. Recently, there is significant motivation to integrate electromagnetic functions in structural materials, resulting in structural supercapacitors, structural batteries, and structural fuel cells, where mechanical strength is improved by materials such as carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, graphite, etc. The multifunctional operation of these devices saves space and reduces cost. However, little effort has been made to integrate magnetic materials into strong nonmagnetic structures.
Cementitious magnetic composites (CMC) are intended for applications such as magnetic shielding of structures and buildings, energy storage, or emerging applications of wireless charging of electric vehicles from ground-embedded charging units. For example, electrical energy may be transmitted wirelessly to an electric vehicle from a wireless power transfer pad. Unfortunately, challenges remain in balancing performance of CMC materials with costs and mechanical strength.